Something Warm
by Seimei
Summary: Several moments passed before he realized where he was. [implied Link x Malon] [oneshot]


**Something Warm**

His eyes opened. Several moments passed before he realized where he was. The dark sky was above him, surrounding him, drowning him; the cold grass beneath his skin shoved him further up, closer towards the starry abyss before him.

He sat forward, shattering the illusion in which he had been captured, and scanned the surrounding area for Stalchildren—only to remember that those shadows had long since vanished. They were only memories, now. Epona snorted from across the hill where she had been grazing, and at the sound of his waking, the horse came to him. She nudged him with her head, and he smiled, pushing her away from him.

"Come here often?" came a voice from behind.

Link spun around, reaching for his sword, though Epona only lifted her head, unsurprised.

Malon nodded at Link after he rubbed his eyes, once, twice. "You're not dreaming, Fairy Boy," she said with a smile.

She was standing maybe twenty feet away, clutching a dark shawl around her shoulders. The moon rose behind her, revealing the bright red of her hair, despite the darkness. Epona trotted to her old master without a second thought, eager for the attention she knew Malon would provide. Malon's grip on her shawl loosed enough for it to fall from her shoulders as she reached for the horse. "Why, hello there, Epona," she cooed.

Link paused; he was slightly vexed that he had been caught off guard. Finally, he demanded, "What're you doing out here—and at this time of night, Malon?"

The ranch girl shrugged and scratched Epona behind her ears. "Oh, I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd take a walk. Is that a problem?"

Link frowned and folded his arms. "It's dangerous out here."

She laughed, "But not so dangerous that you couldn't sleep out here yourself, hmm?"

He sighed and stretched out again, looking away from her. "No. I'm armed—and I've got Epona to watch for danger. I'll be fine." He cast her a sidelong glance, "You, however, should go back home."

The smile fell from her face, and she moved away from Epona. Kneeling, she grabbed her fallen shawl and stood up briskly.

"Okay, then. If you really want me to go, then… I will."

He heard her footsteps trail down the hill, further and further away. The sky spun above him, and he tried to shut it out, tried to close his eyes—but still the stars lingered, like his memories of the Stalchildren. Something bitter rose in his chest, stinging the corners of his eyes.

"Wait… Malon…" he called out softly—so softly that he was sure she didn't hear him. No footsteps came rushing up the hill in answer. Epona wandered away, munching on grass at the bottom of the hill. He clutched his sword in hand, clamping his eyes shut, trying to understand why he suddenly felt as harsh as he did.

His thoughts swam through the dark. And then, his eyes opened.

Several moments passed before he realized where he was. The dark sky was above him, surrounding him, drowning him; the cold grass beneath his skin shoved him further up, closer towards the starry abyss before him.

"I'm here," she said. Her red hair fell across her face as she bent over him.

Link tried to sit up, but she shook her head, smiling sadly. His head dropped into her lap.

For several moments, neither spoke. Words tried to come, but nothing seemed right. And then:

"Malon," he said, "Will this ever end?" His voice was tight.

"You've only just a little way to go, now," she whispered. Her eyes wandered across the horizon until they rested on a tumble of dark shapes—she could see the ruins of the old castle, where a permanent, dark cloud swirled overhead.

"But I don't!" he countered, "I don't have just a little ways to go, now. Nothing ever ends. I don't even know the difference between yesterday and tomorrow. Everything is an endless dance before me, a musical number that won't stop playing. I fall through history, only to land in the same place… only to fall all over again."

Tears bit at the corners of his eyes, but he held them back. "I know what I have to do, but…will doing it erase this endlessness? Will I then be able to rest?"

She shook her head and ran her fingers through his hair. "You'll only know if you finish this. If you go to _her_. She is calling you home."

His eyes opened. They were dark. "Is that what this feeling is? Sometimes I think I hear her saying my name. …_Zelda_. I want so much to run to that voice… and yet, all I want to do is to hide from that voice. I… I'm not worthy of this position. And… I know she _sees_ me, but I wish she didn't. I wish it was someone else she was calling to… anyone but me..."

The air was cold. Malon slid the shawl off her shoulders and draped it over Link, who didn't seem to notice.

"Link," she said sadly, "I wish I could erase your endlessness..." She turned her head away. "I wish that you weren't so alone. I wish you weren't the one the goddesses appointed to this task. I wish you could have a normal life; I wish, maybe more than anyone, that you didn't have to sleep out here, with only your past and future to keep you company." She swallowed. "If I could have my way, why—y-you could stay with me, if you were w-willing. I don't know. Wherever you were at peace—that's where I'd have you be."

His fist clenched, suddenly angry. "But I'm still _out here_. And I can never be anywhere else. Can I?"

Malon was silent. She held no more answers than he. Link felt tears drip into his ears.

She turned to look at him, and her eyes were warm. "Maybe not, but… I can stay here, if you want."

Words tried to come, but nothing seemed right. The quiet stung her ears. Her thoughts wandered. Something warm covered her hand, and when she looked down, she saw that he had taken it in his own. She searched his face, but his eyes were focused on the horizon—on the tumble of dark shapes once known as Hyrule Castle.

"Thank you," he said.


End file.
